Vanquish by Pam Godwin was once again an absolute success by this author. When I first met Van, the book's male lead, in book one of this series, Deliver, I was both intrigued and appalled by him. He was an interesting character that I couldn't wait to find out more about, that's for sure. And even though Vanquish can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading Deliver first, because this book contains quite a lot of spoilers for book one, so in case you're planning to read both books, I'd suggest starting with Deliver first.

So, as I said, Van Quiso is a character that provoked a lot of conflicting feelings while I was reading Deliver. He's one of those characters you hate to love and love to hate. He's done a lot of terrible things, but at the same time, he's trying to somewhat redeem himself and ultimately his heart is in the right place. While trying to win back Liv, the heroine of book one, he meets a girl named Amber. Amber Rosenfeld is a shy, introverted girl who suffers from extreme agoraphobia (anxiety disorder) and OCD. She's certainly not the kind of girl who would normally capture Van's attention but her oddities spark his interest and he feels compelled to help her get rid of her anxieties.

"You don't really know someone until you see them in the dark. I'll show you the dark, my beautiful slave."

The meeting between Van and Amber is a pure chance encounter, but one that will chance both their lives drastically. The main message this story tries to tell is that even the most damaged, broken individuals can find love, healing and a happily ever after. It was an interesting proces to see a seemingly cold and heartless man like Van transform into a sweet and caring partner to someone like Amber. Despite their differences, they both managed to help each other overcome their painful pasts and even though I wasn't fully convinced of the strength of their bond and connection at first, after a while they both had me rooting for their happy ending.

"He should leave the poor girl to deal with her demons, but instinct demanded he take control of this… of her."

This author has a way of storytelling that grabs your attention, pulls you in and doesn't let you go until you've reached the final page. There was never a dull moment throughout the entire story and just like the first book of the series, the book does have a somewhat dark, at times, disturbing storyline but there is an equal amount of steam, humor and romance to make for a perfect balance between dark and light. So far I've loved every single one of this author's books and I'm already anxiously looking forward to see what she has next in store for us!

Highly recommended dark romance read.

"Fuck him, but he wanted to be her security, her anchor, her fucking everything."

He stalked toward her, mirroring the tilt of her head, knees and shoulders loose, and his gaze holding her prisoner. A breath away, he paused, soaking in the subtleties of her tipped-up chin, parting lips, and glossy but resolute eyes.

With the next breath, he launched, hands on her jaw, fingers spread around the back of her head.

His elbows dropped, shoulders raised, and he yanked her to him, lifting her on tiptoes, guiding her mouth, taking it. His grip twisted through her hair as he drew in her upper lip and shoved her against the fridge, following her with the weight of his body.

The kiss went fucking wild, their lips mashing in a frantic battle. His tongue plunged her mouth, attacking, thrusting in and out, possessing her movements, owning her. Breath for breath, lick after lick, he ate at her mouth, tasting, devouring.

He dropped his hands to her breasts, squeezing ruthlessly as he rolled his cock against her cunt.

His tongue tingled, his skin burned, and his head swam. God, she was a drug, and he was so fucking high.

She gripped his biceps, bit at his lips, and threw her arms over his shoulders, her fingers scratching the fuck out his back. He shuddered, loving it, but he was in control.

Reaching back, he grabbed her wrists and slammed them above her head. Their bodies ground together, his forearms pressing hers to the fridge, their tongues dancing and clashing. Chest-to-chest, hips fused together, he flexed his ass, dry humping her like a horny teenager.

Jesus, fuck, he didn't care. He wanted her.

He leaned back to study her face and found strong smoldering eyes, sharp breaths, and swollen wet lips. Whatever she saw in his expression made her mouth chase his and her fingers curl around his hands. They kissed endlessly, fueling the fire and pushing his control long past the point of discomfort before pulling back and starting all over again.

When he broke the kiss with a hand on her jaw, they panted as one, mouths open and so close their bottom lips brushed. She peered at him through lowered lashes, and he stared back in awe. What trembled between them wasn't an if? Or even a how hard? Those were foregone. The question they shared was simple.

Ready?

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.